With the advent of plastic pipe such as polyolefin and other plastic materials, there has existed a need for connecting lengths of pipe together to form a string of pipes. The use of such plastic pipe has ranged from an inch or so in diameter to as much as five feet.
The connecting together of such pipes has presented a problem which is of particular significance in the field where access to equipment and labor may be difficult. While fusion of the pipe ends has been done for some time, this has generally been somewhat laborious and expensive.
Various types of end connections have been devised requiring clampes and auxiliary paraphernalia.
One such device using clamping is shown in the exterior pipe connector sleeve of U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,184 in which the pipe ends are butted together and clamped by the sleeve. This device and other end clamps require extraneous parts with the protruding clamp and damage thru being accidentally struck and damaged by external forces. For example, when joined strings of pipe are pulled in a slip-lining construction job, it is particularly desirable that the exterior of the pipe be completely flush to enhance the pulling or pushing of the pipe along the ground or through a larger pipe to be repaired.